Today’s Guest Blogger, Ted A. Moreno, writes about how “happiness is our natural state of being.” What’s so great about happiness? Why are most of us always striving for happiness? Why is it so hard? Wikipedia defines happiness as: a mental or emotional state of well-being defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. What I think is interesting is that when we are happy, we don’t notice it as much as when we are unhappy. To me, this suggests that happiness is our natural state of being. We are very aware of when we are experiencing negative or unpleasant emotions or when we are not content. We try to do something about it. We seem to be more motivated to avoid unhappiness than to pursue happiness. I also think that for many, unhappiness can become a habit. What is your habit of being? Bob Dylan…
Category: Guest Bloggers
Agatha Christie’s notebook method of mystery writing
Agatha Christie was president of The Detection Club from 1957 to 1976. Formed in 1930, The Club was a group of British mystery writers who helped one another with technical aspects of their writing and wrote a number of works together. Aha . . . an early writing club, or writing group, showing the value of writing with others. I was curious about the popularity of Agatha’s books, so headed to my computer chair to research, where answers were clicks away, unlike the “good old days” of thumbing through drawers of cards in the library. The following is excerpted from New Yorker Magazine. Here’s how the typical mystery novel starts: Eight or nine people are assembled in a small place: a snowbound train, a girls’ school, an English country house. Then—oh no! A body drops. Who did this? And why, and how? Among those gathered, or soon summoned, is a…
A Business Model to Avoid
Guest Blogger Sandy Baker talks about first time publishing. The thrill of publishing one’s first book is joyful, a dream come true, right? Oh, the anticipation of getting my children’s picture book into print and out there in the marketplace! I attended lectures, workshops, and conferences to acquire the information I needed to become an indie publisher. I’d heard horror stories from authors who’d been scammed by vanity presses, paid too much for a web design, or didn’t know an ISBN from the BOE or a DBA, POD or LCCN. That would not be me. I bought a block of ten ISBN numbers. After all, if one costs $125, ten at $250 is more than a bargain. I set up my own Butterfly Books imprint and obtained a resale license from the state Franchise Tax Board. I was now a sole proprietor ready to do business and offer the world…
Santa’s Secret Wish
It’s the time of year when gifts are exchanged. Bell ringers thank strangers as they put coins in red kettles. Stores beckon shoppers promising warmth and great sales. Friends gather, sip good cheer. And if you’re lucky, you’ll receive a holiday card or two. It’s also the time of year for solicitations . . . in the mail, on the internet, over the phone. . . “Our need is great. Won’t you give?” We can’t possibly share our money with everyone who asks. But we can share kindness, broad smiles and stories that invite us to pause, and reflect the meaning of the season. ‘Twas the night before Christmas here and there, someone is reading, reflecting and nodding. Santa’s Secret Wish by Betty Werth On Christmas Eve, a young boy with light in his eyes Looked deep into Santa’s, to Santa’s surprise. And said as he nestled on Santa’s…
Can you make ghosts come alive?
Guest Blogger Francis H. Powell: Writing About Ghosts. What are your feelings about…Ghosts…do they exist? They are ridiculed, have been made mundane, absurd films like Ghostbusters have trivialized them. Kids aren’t blinkered and naïve. Cynics rule. Christmas seems the perfect time to unleash a Ghost story. Many writers set out to write thrilling stories to a cynical disbelieving audience. Perhaps the golden age of ghost story telling, the Victorian age, was a period when readers were far more susceptible to believing in ghosts. Modern day readers are far more pragmatic, scrutinizing what they are reading. Houses are lit up with bright neon light, streets are not dark and shadowy as they were in past times. I guess very few writers who write ghost stories have ever encountered a “real” ghost, so they are letting their imaginations run wild. For a Ghost story to work it has to sustain a high…
Does failure weigh more than success?
Guest Blogger Rachael Herron writes about successes and failures. It’s December! I know this for a fact (I just rechecked the calendar). No matter which hemisphere you’re in, regardless of season, this year is getting ready for her final bow. It’s completely impossible that 2015 is almost over because about seventeen minutes ago the year was just starting, full of potential and wonder and pale spring-green hope. I’m prone to doing what everyone else does at the end of a year: weighing the past year’s successes and failures against each other. But you know what? Failure weighs way more than success. When you put things on that imaginary scale, each small failure weighs as much as a wheelbarrow full of rocks while each huge success weighs almost nothing. Success makes you lighter—it makes you able to float for a minute or even an hour—while failure drags you so low your…
Rejection, Dejection, Perfection
Guest blogger Terry Elders writes about rejection, dejection, and perfection. Luck was on my side. My first submission to an anthology, just eight years ago, got accepted by Chicken Soup for the Soul for “Celebrating Brothers and Sisters.” Since then my stories have appeared in well over a hundred books. But I estimate that I’ve averaged five rejections for every acceptance. That’s a success rate of only 20 percent. Perseverance is key. I write for an audience. I’ve known talented writing students say that if they’re ever rejected, they become too discouraged to continue to submit. When I told this to a realtor friend, he laughed. “That’s ridiculous. I get turned down every day. If I stopped showing houses, I’d never make a sale. You smile and move on to the next potential customer.” I agree. I’ve adopted my late husband’s favorite motto, “Never, ever give up.” I keep an…
Guest Blogger Genevieve V. Georget
Genevieve V. Georget graciously gave me permission to re-post her October 5, 2015 Facebook post. The response to her post was surreal: Over 250,000 likes and 143,000 shares. Genevieve’s post is an excellent example of extraordinary writing that touches the heart. Guest Blogger Genevieve V. Georget: It was a Wednesday afternoon when I walked into Starbucks that day nearly six years ago. I stood at the bar, waiting for my drink, when the barista politely asked me what I was up to that day. As it turns out, I was en route to the airport at that moment…about to catch a flight to Italy with my husband. After a brief minute of chatting, the barista handed me my coffee and wished me a nice trip. “But then again”, she said “why wouldn’t you…your life is golden!” I’ll admit…the gold star was nice. But at the same time, the words knocked…
What Is a Writer?
Guest Blogger Sheri Graves writes about the obsession with writing. The moment of clarity occurred when I was in a doctor’s office seeking help for carpal tunnel syndrome. The condition wasn’t getting better and my ability to use my hands was diminishing with each passing day on the job as a newspaper reporter. The physician examined my hands and arms for perhaps the 30th time, looked at me and asked, “Have you considered doing something else for a living?” “No,” I said. “Have you?” He went on to explain that his profession was a “calling” and he had to spend many years in higher education and training to get where he was. His assumption he was important and I was not hit me as narcissistic. I wanted to punch him in the throat but couldn’t make a fist. “Being a writer isn’t just what I do,” I scolded. “It’s what…
What is the scariest season?
The Halloween season has passed and the holiday season approaches, the time of good cheer and good will. This might be the scariest season for some. Ted A Moreno’s guest blog post might help shoo away our fears. Guest Blogger Ted A. Moreno writes about “31 Scary Questions to Ask Yourself.” It’s all about scary this week as we approach Halloween and Day of the Dead. It’s a time when it’s fun to be scared, as long as we know that it’s just a movie, or someone dressed up as the walking dead. Truth is, there are plenty of really scary things out there. But by far, the scariest things are those that we hide from ourselves, the things that we are afraid to deal with. Unresolved issues that haunt us, pain we can’t seem to release, resentment that traps us in unhappiness. These are the monsters under the bed, the goblins that we…